TOGETHER WITH

It's Tuesday and if you’re wondering what the word “utopia” means to Silicon Valley bigwigs, well…take a look and find out.

LET’S LINK UP

YouTubers can now connect their Shorts to other videos and live streams with a single link

YouTube’s latest feature is a big deal for multiformat creators. Since banning external links in Shorts comments and video descriptions last month, the platform has been gearing up for the launch of updated discoverability tools.

The result: “prominent clickable links” and “related links.”

The first of those tools—which gives creators the ability to add links next to the Subscribe buttons on their channels—was introduced back in August. But the second feature is a fresh addition to creators’ arsenals.

According to YouTube Creator Liaison Renee Ritchie—who heralded the arrival of related links on X—the newly-launched tool allows creators to connect their Shorts to any of their other uploads, from long-form content and livestreams to other short-form clips. There are other upsides, too: As Ritchie noted, creators who take advantage of related links will be able to drive fans to their merch stores or let users remix their content with a single click.

Those capabilities have already earned the approval of YouTubers like Muaaz, who took to X to share the news with other creators:

🔆 SPONSORED 🔆

How does Spotter’s creator funding process really work? Here’s what the world’s top YouTubers have to say:

From brand-building to content production, YouTubers can partner with Spotter to achieve just about anything. But how does the process actually work?

Here’s a quick FAQ from 3 top creators:

1. What can I do with ​capital from Spotter​? 🤔 
Spotter is all about empowering creators—meaning you can spend your new capital to invest in your channel. Here’s how Lizzy Capri used her funds: “I've been able to buy my very own content house and spent the last four months building out a whole studio warehouse where my team can work and grow.”

2. How long does the funding process take? ⌛ 
Here’s how Airrack described Spotter’s fast-paced process: “They were ready to give me the money that they had offered me within like two business days, and they understood that this industry moves quickly and that I don't have a lot of time.”

3. How do I know if Spotter is a good fit? 🤝 
MrBeast’s answer: “If you're trying to ​reinvest and grow your channel​ and you have tight cash margins, or you just want to expand, and you want to test new things, it is—in my opinion—a great way just to get money in the bank.”

Ready to start funding your future? Hit the button below to learn more:

​Get started with Spotter →

HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

• Shopify is teaming up with TikTok to integrate its vending platform into the app’s Shop hub. (Tubefilter)
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• According to a recent policy update, X plans to collect public user data to “help train” its “artificial intelligence models.” (TechCrunch)
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• A recent report from watchdog group Media Matters for America claims that Meta’s enforcement of political advertising policies has “started to backslide” ahead of the 2024 elections. (TechCrunch)
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• Disney+ has reportedly delayed the release of all but two upcoming Marvel shows until next year amid ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. (Gizmodo)

DATA • U.S. TOP 100 📈

This ASMR creator isn’t afraid to break a few eggs (or the occasional soda bottle)

In fact, that’s exactly what PotPote is known for. The U.S.-based channel has earned nearly 2.5 million subscribers by spreading the kind of catharsis that only comes from a little unhinged (but mostly harmless) destruction.

If you’ve scrolled through Shorts or TikTok lately, then you’re probably already familiar with the type of content that has made PotPote famous. From throwing glass bottles down flights of stairs to smashing jars against walls, destructive ASMR is undeniably in vogue—and PotPote is one of the OGs behind that trend.

233 million viewers agree: watching soda bottles meet their untimely end is kind of mesmerizing.

It’s not just soda bottles, either. More than 120 million viewers have tuned in to watch each of PotPote’s top four videos, which revolve around everything from brightly-colored mystery jars to bottles of foamy beer. The creator’s top video of all time, for instance, has pulled in more than 230 million views since July 11.

That earth-shattering momentum is unlikely to die down anytime soon.

• PotPote earned 817.9 million monthly views in August alone, which put it in 22nd place in the month’s U.S. Top 100.

• That 31-day total added up to over 2x the number of views PotPote scored in July.

• In fact, the relatively young channel has received almost all of its 1.3 billion lifetime views during the summer of 2023.

WATCH THIS 📺

So…Bluey is kind of intense, right?

Don’t get us wrong: there’s a reason Bluey is universally beloved by kids and parents alike. But as self-proclaimed “girl dad” @world.shaker artfully explains in this hilarious video, the animated children’s show is also really, really real.

Episodes like “Camping” and “Baby Race” may seem like sweet bite-sized stories, but they pack an emotional punch. Check out @world.shaker’s TikTok here to find out exactly why watching Bluey might just make you cry.

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Today's newsletter is from: Emily Burton, Sam Gutelle, and Josh Cohen. Drew Baldwin helped edit, too. It's a team effort.